Military Appreciation

Tony Drees is an Adaptive Athlete Champion, Purple Heart Amputee, a motivational speaker, and the father to graduates of Cherry Creek Schools. In 2018, Drees’ leg was amputated after his barracks was struck by the “Deadliest Scud Missile of the Iraqi War.”

On Saturday, October 5 at Cherry Creek Schools’ annual Military and Veteran Appreciation Celebration, Drees was wrapped in a Quilt of Valor, alongside his dog, Diva, to honor his courage and sacrifice. 

“Many times people come up to me, and they say, I served but I didn't get to be deployed, and you can hear their disappointment. Or, I served but I didn’t give as much of a sacrifice as you did, and you hear their disappointment,” said Drees. “What I’m here to say is, it doesn’t matter in what capacity you serve. What matters is that you went up and signed your name on the dotted line, or that you raised your hand to represent and protect our country. And for that, I can never have enough gratitude for you. And to those of you who wanted to serve, but weren’t able to and were tenacious enough to serve as a civilian, I have the utmost respect for you.” 

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